Safety-fuse.



E. L. SIMONS.

SAFETY FUSE.- APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 24, 1903. RENEWED AUG 4. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOH PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

Warren dramas Patented October 25, 1904.

EDWARD L. SIMONE), OF ALDEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

earerr euse.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 772,967, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed June 24,1903. Renewedll'ngust 4 1904. Serial No. 219,460. (No model.)

to the inclosing case whereby the former may be renewed after being burned out without it being necessary to return the case to the factory or, as is now the usual practice, to throw away the case'and replace it by an entirely new apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout .the several. views, Figure 1 is a l ngitudinal sectional elevation of a fuse-box efh bodying my improvements; Fig, 2, a side elevation of a cartridge carrying the fusible wire before insertion in the case; Fig. 3, a plan of one form of fusible wire; Fig. 4. a section of Fig. lon line i 4; Fig. 5, an enlarged side elevation of means for locking the fusible wire to the inclosing case; Fig. 6, an

end elevation of Fig. 5, showing the-inclosing case in section. 1

a is a tube or case formed of vulcanized fiber or someother suitable material. For convenience in manufacture this case is preferably cylindrical in form.

brepresents bands or ferrules of metal upon the ends of the case, which are used merely to prevent undue wear when removing or replacing the caps.v

0 represents caps, also of metal, which close the ends of the case.

(Z is the fusible wire or strip; e, a non-conducting substance, like plasterof paris or lime, with which the case is packed.

'f represents brackets soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the caps 0, which are adept ed to be secured to the-terminals of the main circuit-wire.

9 represents carriers for the fusible wire d.

The outer ends of these carriers preferably pass through holes in the ends of i the caps a and are secured thereto by riveting. They might be cast with the caps 0, but this would probably involve such a weight of metal that the expense would be too great. The carriers g are provided with central longitudinal holes h, through which the fusible wire 1? passes, and they are cut out on one side, as shown at 1', so as to expose the hole 71 and the side of the wire (Z passing therethrongh.

j is an arm pivoted to the carriers at k, the lower end of which is adapted to engage the w'ire d-where exposed in the cut i.

- Z is a screw adaptedto engage and force the lever j down against the wire, so as to lock it to the carrier.

The wire (Z being held between the carrier and the lever j, the latter of which is pivoted to and forms part of the carrier, a perfect contact without solder. is made between the carrier and the wire. If desired, the lever may be entirely omitted and the screw 1 used to bind the wire against the carrier. In case the wire d is fused one or both caps 0, closing the ends of the tube, may be removed, the screws Z loosened, and a new wire placed in the carriers and clamped thereto by the levers j and screws Z or by the levers or screws alone. m represents springs for lifting the lower ends of the levers j when the screws 1 are raised or by reversing the action of the springs for forcing the levers against the wire.

The holes 71 in the carriers would be made of a diameter to receive a fusible wire suitable for the circuit to be protected that is, difl'erent sizes of apparatus will have the carriers furnished with holes which will not receive a wire of greater thickness than that suitable for the circuit for which the particular apparatus is designed.

A convenient cartridge for refilling the case a after the fuse has been burned out is shown in Fig. 2. This cartridge consists of a case '22, carrying the plaster or other refractory packing material, the ends of which are closed by the mica disks 0, which are preferably perfo-v rated. The fusible wire a passes longitudinally and centrally through the case it, its

ends projecting beyond the mica ends 0 and being in position to be passed readily-into the holes h in the carrier 9. I

In Figs. 1 and 4 the fusible wire (2 is shown beaten out near its center, and the ends of the sheet'thus formed are bent around, forming a hollow chamber 1), filled with air, which prevents a too rapid dissipation of the heat when the wire is melted by an excess of current, it being understood that the wire will melt at the hollow space first, as the resistance at this point is the greatest.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a safety-fuse, in combination, an inclosing shell, removable caps closing the ends of said shell, carriers secured to or forming part of said caps, a fusible wire or strip, and means, separate from said carriers and operative from without the shell for removably securing said fusible wire or strip to said carriers.

- 2. In a safety-fuse. in combination, an in-- closing shell or case, bands or ferrules surrounding the. ends of said -shell, removable caps carried by said bands or ferrules closing the ends of said shell, carriers in axial alinement with one another carried by saidcaps,

'ends-of the fuse and a cut-out portion expos ing a part of the fuse, and means separate from said carriers and operative from without said shell or case for removably securing said fuse to said carriers.

5. The described means for removably carrying the fusible wire or strip of a safetyfuse consisting, in combination, of a case, a carrier having a hole for thereception of the fuse and a cut-out portion exposing a part of the fuse, a lever pivoted to said carrier adapted to engage said fuse and force it against said carrier, and a screw for operating said lever.

ED'W. L. SIMONS.

, Nitnesses:

Geo. HLHILL, Jr., CHARLEs A. B TTER. 

